ConTejas Code

Jay V, co-founder of SST, discusses his open-source framework that simplifies building applications on AWS using TypeScript. He shares insights on the advantages of using TypeScript over traditional tools like YAML, emphasizing its scalability. The conversation touches on serverless technologies, Kubernetes integration, and the importance of community in driving product growth. Jay also highlights the significance of effective marketing strategies and educational content in connecting with users while navigating the challenges of tech innovation.

Links- Codecrafters (sponsor): https://tej.as/codecrafters- TBD: https://www.tbd.website/- Rizèl on X: https://x.com/blackgirlbytes- Tejas on X: https://x.com/tejaskumar_SummaryRizèl Scarlett, a developer advocate at TBD, discusses her experiences with GitHub Copilot, open source, and Web5. She shares how she enjoys engaging with skeptics and helping them understand new technologies. Rizèl also explains TBD and its SDKs, TBdex and Web5, which aim to enable global money exchange and provide decentralized identity verification.Takeaways1. Rizel enjoys engaging with skeptics and helping them understand new technologies.2. TBD is a company that focuses on enabling global money exchange and decentralized identity verification.3. TBdex is an SDK that facilitates the exchange of money, while Web5 supports TBdex through identity verification.4. Web5 utilizes decentralized identifiers and verifiable credentials to create a seamless and secure web experience.5. Decentralized identifiers and verifiable credentials offer convenience and selective disclosure of personal information.6. Digital identifiers have the potential to replace single sign-on methods and provide a standardized authentication protocol across the web.7. Interoperability among companies is a challenge for the adoption of Web5.8. Web5 can be used to build various applications, such as chat applications. Web5 is built on open web standards and offers a secure way to handle decentralized identity and share files.9. Diversity, equity, and inclusion are crucial in the tech industry, and efforts should be made to create positive and inclusive experiences for underrepresented groups.Chapters00:00:00 Rizèl Scarlett00:03:50 Introduction and Background00:12:52 Skepticism of Open Source00:17:01 Introduction to TBD and TBdex00:26:21 Web5: Creating a Seamless Web Experience00:27:38 Decentralized Identifiers and Verifiable Credentials00:33:54 Exploring the Potential of Digital Identifiers00:36:11 Building Decentralized Digital Identities with the Web5 SDK00:41:27 The Benefits and Challenges of Web500:49:26 The Future of Authentication: Web5 and Digital Identifiers01:05:21 Exploring the Potential of Web5 and Decentralized Identity01:09:08 Leveraging AI Technologies in the Web5 Ecosystem01:13:21 The Importance of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Tech Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Links- Codecrafters (sponsor): https://tej.as/codecrafters- Turso: https://turso.tech- The Save File Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGUwjXxvasIczMiiZ5joRlTA-PFydJZbb- Glauber on X: https://x.com/glcst- Tejas on X: https://x.com/tejaskumar_SummaryGlauber Costa, CEO of Turso Database, shares his journey from coding for the Linux kernel to co-founding Turso. He started contributing to open source in university and developed a passion for low-level programming. He joined RedHat and later joined a database company, which eventually pivoted into ScyllaDB, a NoSQL database.Glauber discusses the challenges and successes of building ScyllaDB and the importance of competition in driving innovation. After leaving ScyllaDB, he joined Datadog before deciding to start Turso. The opportunity to start a company arose, and Glauber and his co-founder, Pekka, took the leap.Turso is a database that is based on SQLite and focuses on data replication. It offers a cost-effective and easy way to replicate data to multiple locations, with a single URL that routes requests to the closest replica. Turso is not limited to web use cases and can be used for various applications. It provides read-your-own-writes consistency, ensuring that when a value is written, it can be immediately read.The term 'edge database' is not accurate for Turso, as it is more focused on data replication rather than edge compute. The confusion around the term 'edge' arises from the conflation of network edge and edge compute. In this conversation, we discuss the challenges and misconceptions surrounding the concept of the edge in web development.Glauber also explains how messaging and positioning are crucial in the success of a startup, and how validation should be carefully considered. He also highlights the importance of moving fast and adapting to the needs of users. He emphasizes that replication is a core feature of Turso, allowing for high availability and performance, and the ability to replicate data closer to users for faster access.Takeaways1. Turso is a database based on SQLite that specializes in data replication.2. The term 'edge database' is not accurate for Turso, as it focuses more on data replication than edge compute.3. Messaging and positioning are crucial in the success of a startup.4. It is important to carefully consider validation and not rely solely on positive feedback.5. Moving fast and adapting to user needs is essential for success.Chapters00:00 Glauber Costa03:21 Introduction and Background12:39 Pivoting from Operating System to Database27:15 Transition from ScyllaDB to Turso31:32 Timing and Market Conditions in Starting a Company56:31 Turso: A Database for Data Replication01:02:52 The Horizontal Nature of Databases01:06:03 Turso's Impressive Write Performance01:09:37 Turso's Versatility Beyond Web Use Cases01:16:19 The Need for Speed: Moving Fast and Adapting to User Needs01:38:31 Conclusion Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Links- Codecrafters (sponsor): https://tej.as/codecrafters- OpenSauced blog post: https://opensauced.pizza/blog/how-we-saved-thousands-of-dollars-deploying-low-cost-open-source-ai-technologies- John on X: https://x.com/johncodezzz- Tejas on X: https://x.com/tejaskumar_SummaryJohn McBride discusses his experience deploying open-source AI technologies at scale with Kubernetes. He shares insights on building AI-enabled applications and the challenges of managing large-scale data engineering.The conversation focuses on the use of Kubernetes as a platform for running compute and the decision to use TimeScaleDB for storing time-series data and vectors. McBride also highlights the importance of data-intensive applications and recommends the book 'Designing Data-Intensive Applications' for further reading.The conversation discusses the process of migrating from OpenAI to an open-source large language model (LLM) inference engine. The decision to switch to an open-source LLM was driven by the need for cost optimization and the desire to have more control over the infrastructure. VLLM was chosen as the inference engine due to its compatibility with the OpenAI API and its performance. The migration process involved deploying Kubernetes, setting up node groups with GPUs, running VLLM pods, and using a Kubernetes service for load balancing.The conversation emphasizes the importance of choosing the right level of abstraction and understanding the trade-offs involved.Takeaways1. Building AI-enabled applications requires good mass-scale data engineering.2. Kubernetes is an excellent platform for servicing large-scale applications.3. TimeScaleDB, built on top of Postgres, is a suitable choice for storing time-series data and vectors.4. The book 'Designing Data-Intensive Applications' is recommended for understanding data-intensive application development.5. Choosing the right level of abstraction is important, and it depends on factors such as expertise, time constraints, and specific requirements.6. The use of Kubernetes can be complex and expensive, and it may not be necessary for all startups.7. The decision to adopt Kubernetes should consider the scale and needs of the company, as well as the operational burden it may bring.Chapters00:00 John McBride03:05 Introduction and Background07:24 Summary of the Blog Post12:15 The Role of Kubernetes in AI-Enabled Applications16:10 The Use of TimeScaleDB for Storing Time-Series Data and Vectors35:37 Migrating to an Open-Source LLM Inference Engine47:35 Deploying Kubernetes and Setting Up Node Groups55:14 Choosing VLLM as the Inference Engine1:02:21 The Migration Process: Deploying Kubernetes and Setting Up Node Groups1:08:02 Choosing the Right Level of Abstraction1:24:12 Challenges in Evaluating Language Model Performance1:31:41 Considerations for Adopting Kubernetes in Startups Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Links- Codecrafters (sponsor): https://tej.as/codecrafters- OpenSauced: https://opensauced.pizza- OpenSauced Tour: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JCNjj19iDa4- The Secret Sauce Podcast: https://podcast.opensauced.pizza/episodes- Brian on X: https://x.com/bdougieyo- Tejas on X: https://x.com/tejaskumar_SummaryIn this episode, Brian Douglas (BDougie), the founder of OpenSauced discusses the evolution of the Jamstack, BDougie's career switch from sales to coding, and the inspiration behind OpenSauced. OpenSauced is a tool that provides deeper insights into GitHub repositories, filling the gap left by GitHub's limited insights feature. BDougie explains how OpenSauced sources data from the GitHub event feed and circumvents rate limiting. He also shares the vision for OpenSauced, which includes building a standard for successful open source projects and providing valuable metrics for maintainers and companies.OpenSauced focuses on the top-down approach to building their business, targeting large enterprise customers and establishing product-market fit with them. They prioritize building relationships with these customers and providing value to them, rather than focusing on charging individual developers for their product. They believe that the future of open source lies in telling stories with data and providing insights to enterprises. OpenSauced aims to be a long-term, sustainable business that scales to both enterprise and the broader community.The conversation explores measuring the impact of open source projects, including the influx of stars and the growth of the active community. We discuss the importance of repo pages and new features like the lottery factor and contributor confidence. We also touch on the challenges of contributor engagement and the need for proper governance in open source projects. The conversation then shifts to the difficulties of positioning and messaging for technical founder-led companies and the importance of storytelling. The episode concludes with a discussion on the value of talking to users and customers regularly.Takeaways1. OpenSauced is a tool that provides deeper insights into GitHub repositories, filling the gap left by GitHub's limited insights feature.2. OpenSauced sources data from the GitHub event feed and circumvents rate limiting to provide comprehensive and up-to-date information.3. The vision for OpenSauced is to build a standard for successful open source projects and provide valuable metrics for maintainers and companies.4. The tool includes features like contributor confidence, lottery factor, and YOLO coding to assess the health and sustainability of open source projects.Chapters00:00 Brian Douglas03:05 Introduction and Background09:44 The Evolution of the Jamstack14:45 OpenSauced and GitHub's Relationship32:17 Identifying the Problem with Hacktoberfest35:28 Insights and Metrics for Open Source Projects37:09 The Value of Open Sauce for Businesses43:40 The Shift in DevRel and Go-to-Market Strategies47:57 Top-Down vs Bottom-Up Approach in DevRel54:20 Balancing Top-Down and Bottom-Up Strategies01:02:59 The Importance of Establishing Product-Market Fit01:05:42 The Challenges of Building an Open Source Business01:06:57 Measuring the Impact of Open Source01:07:28 The Role of Repo Pages01:08:09 Understanding Contributor Engagement and Confidence01:09:11 The Importance of Governance in Open Source01:11:14 Positioning and Messaging for Technical Founder-Led Companies01:36:11 The Value of Regular Communication with Users and Customers Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Links- CodeCrafters (sponsor): https://tej.as/codecrafters- Solid Final Form post: https://erikras.com/blog/solid-final-form-poc- Erik on X: https://x.com/erikras- Erik on GitHub: https://github.com/erikras- Tejas on X: https://x.com/tejaskumar_SummaryIn this conversation, Erik Rasmussen discusses his experiences with open source and public speaking, as well as the development and differences between Redux Form and React Final Form. He also explores the value of form libraries and the challenges of coupling and modularity.Additionally, he shares his thoughts on Solid.js and its approach to granular rendering, as well as the potential integration of Solid.js and Final Form for building forms. In this conversation, Erik Rasmussen discusses his experience building forms with Solid and Redux Form.He shares the motivation behind creating Redux Form as a library and the decision to open source it. Erik also talks about the challenges and rewards of maintaining open source projects and the importance of saying no to feature requests.He explores the use of XState on the server side and the benefits of using state machines and state charts. Finally, Erik reflects on the current state of Redux and Solid.js and offers lessons learned from his open source journey.Takeaways1. Open source work can lead to opportunities for public speaking at conferences.2. Form libraries like Redux Form and React Final Form provide valuable solutions for managing form state and validation.3. Modularity is important in library design to allow users to choose and include only the necessary functionality.4. Solid.js offers a different approach to rendering and state management, which can result in more efficient updates.5. Integrating Solid.js and Final Form could provide a powerful solution for building forms with granular rendering and reactivity.6. Maintaining open source projects requires balancing feature requests and maintaining scope.6. Using XState on the server side allows for modeling complex flows and maintaining state.7. State machines and state charts provide a visual way to understand and manage application logic.8. The Redux ecosystem is still relevant and evolving, while Solid.js offers a novel approach to building UIs.Chapters00:00 Erik Rasmussen03:56 Introduction and Early Experiences08:14 Getting into Public Speaking13:00 Redux Form and React Final Form30:01 Coupling and Modularity in Libraries32:32 Solid.js and Granular Rendering37:57 Solid.js and Final Form Integration42:15 Challenges with Solid.js Forms44:33 Building Forms with Solid and Redux Form45:57 Creating Redux Form as a Library49:22 Maintaining Open Source Projects52:30 Considerations for Open Sourcing Projects57:34 Using XState on the Server Side01:00:34 Understanding State Machines and State Charts01:11:22 The State of Redux and Solid.js01:18:32 Lessons Learned from Maintaining Open Source Projects Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Links- Codecrafters (sponsor): https://tej.as/codecrafters- Xata: https://xata.io- Tupu: https://tupu.io- Monica on X: https://x.com/monicasarbu- Tejas on X: https://x.com/tejaskumar_SummaryMonica Sarbu, the founder and CEO of Xata, shares the story of founding Xata. She discusses the challenges of being a woman founder in a male-dominated industry and the importance of open source in her career. Monica also talks about the transition from being a founder to a director at Elastic and the role of titles and hierarchy in organizations. She highlights the significance of happiness and motivation in building successful teams.Monica talks about the journey of building Xata, a Postgres data platform, and how it was inspired by the need she discovered while building Tupu. Xata aims to provide the usability of Airtable on top of a traditional database, with the goal of empowering companies to build products with fewer resources. The platform offers features like full-text search, schema migrations with zero downtime, and a spreadsheet-like UI. Monica also discusses the challenges of running a company and the importance of diversity and culture.Takeaways1. Monica Sarbu shares her journey from building Packetbeat to founding Xata.2. She discusses the challenges of being a woman founder in a male-dominated industry.3. Monica highlights the importance of open source in her career.4. She talks about the transition from being a founder to a director at Elastic and the role of titles and hierarchy in organizations.5. Monica emphasizes the significance of happiness and motivation in building successful teams.6. Xata was built to address the need Monica discovered while building Tupu, and aims to provide the usability of Airtable on top of a traditional database.7. The platform offers features like full-text search, schema migrations with zero downtime, and a spreadsheet-like UI.8. Monica emphasizes the importance of diversity and culture in the company, and the need to support and empower female engineers.9. She believes that every company's journey is different, and it's important for founders to have a plan and prioritize what is important to them.Chapters00:00 Monica Sarbu05:08 Introduction and Background07:14 Building Packetbeat and the Power of Open Source13:46 Differentiating Packetbeat from Other Monitoring Tools19:25 Challenges and Benefits of Building in a Crowded Market34:51 The Importance of Happiness and Motivation in Building Teams48:27 The Relationship Between Tupu and Zeta50:15 The State of Tupu and the Challenges of Non-Profit Organizations56:04 The Journey of Zeta's Development58:26 Zeta's Full-Text Search and Postgres Compatibility01:01:23 Zero Downtime Migrations and Direct Postgres Interfacing01:04:33 Zeta's Roadmap and Self-Hosting Capabilities01:10:35 The Importance of Diversity and Culture at Zeta01:18:26 Zeta's Chat GPT Feature and Future Plans01:21:04 The Challenges and Priorities of Running a Company01:31:29 The Importance of Diversity and Empowering Women Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Links- Codecrafters (sponsor): https://tej.as/codecrafters- Rachel's book "The Tech Career Survival Guide": https://nearestnabors.substack.com/- Rachel on X: https://x.com/rachelnaborsSummaryRachel Nabors (they/them), a developer relations expert with an incredible track record discusses their career journey and the challenges of pricing and valuing their work in the developer relations industry. They emphasize the importance of knowing your worth and setting appropriate hourly rates based on your skills and the value you bring to the table. Rachel also highlights the need for building trusted relationships with your community and collaborating with companies to create products that align with your audience's needs.Takeaways1. Know your worth and set appropriate hourly rates based on your skills and the value you bring to the table.2. Build trusted relationships with your community and collaborate with companies to create products that align with your audience's needs.3. Acknowledge the transactional nature of the influencer industry but maintain your values and advocate for fair compensation.4. Balance the tension between working for a company and maintaining your integrity by establishing collaboration agreements that emphasize mutual benefit.5. DevRel should be involved in shaping the product and providing valuable feedback.6. The line between DevRel and marketing should be clarified to avoid undervaluing the engineering contributions of DevRel.7. The role of DevRel varies depending on the stage of the company, with more need for DevRel in early-stage or large companies.8. Documentation plays a crucial role in learning React, and progressive disclosure is an effective pattern for presenting information. User experience is crucial in documentation, and features like AI-generated pop-ups and special links can greatly enhance the user's understanding and navigation.9. People often discover documentation through search engines like Google, so it's important to optimize content for search and provide solutions to common errors and problems.10. In workplace dynamics, it's important to communicate with managers about issues like dominating conversations and lack of participation, either directly or through anonymous feedback channels.Chapters00:00:00 Rachel Nabors00:02:49 Introduction and Career Background00:04:49 Running a Developer Relations Consultancy and Influencer Agency00:07:07 Pricing and Determining Your Worth00:11:11 Negotiating and Advocating for Fair Compensation00:15:59 Value-Based Pricing and Collaborations00:25:12 Maintaining Integrity in the Influencer Industry00:30:11 Balancing Work and Trust with Companies00:33:20 Collaboration Challenges between DevRel and Product/Engineering Teams00:39:20 The Evolution of DevRel: From Evangelists to Influencers00:47:30 The Importance of DevRel in Shaping the Product00:59:42 The Role of Documentation in Learning React01:06:17 Enhancing User Experience in Documentation01:09:19 Optimizing Documentation for Search and Problem Solving01:11:57 Conveying Core Knowledge and Creating Accessible Content01:15:28 Collaboration between Documentation Teams and Developer Advocates01:22:16 Navigating Workplace Dynamics and Communication Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Links- Sponsors and Partners- Codecrafters (sponsor): https://tej.as/codecrafters- THAT Conference: https://www.thatconference.com/- Stately: https://stately.ai- Guest Content- Flightcontrol: https://www.flightcontrol.dev- Blitz.js: https://blitzjs.com/- Brandon on X: https://x.com/flybayer- Book Recommendations and Resources- Full type-safety for Next.js routes: https://www.flightcontrol.dev/blog/fix-nextjs-routing-to-have-full-type-safety- Obviously Awesome: https://www.aprildunford.com/books- Psych framework: https://andrewchen.com/psychd-funnel-conversion/- Tejas on X: https://x.com/tejaskumar_SummaryBrandon Bayer, the creator of Blitz.js and co-founder of Flightcontrol discusses his journey in open source and the challenges of building full-stack frameworks in the JavaScript ecosystem. He explains the motivation behind creating Flightcontrol, a platform-as-a-service for deploying production applications to your own AWS account.Brandon also shares insights into the pricing model of Flightcontrol and the trade-offs between using a platform-as-a-service and self-hosting with a VPS. He discusses the technical challenges of migrating from PlanetScale to AWS Aurora and highlights the benefits of using Flightcontrol for long-running function invocations.Flightcontrol was backed by Y Combinator (YC)—an experience that was instrumental in helping Flightcontrol raise funding and providing valuable mentorship and networking opportunities.Takeaways1. Building full-stack frameworks in the JavaScript ecosystem is challenging due to the complexity and fast-changing nature of the ecosystem.2. Flightcontrol is a platform-as-a-service that allows developers to deploy production applications to their own AWS account, providing reliability, flexibility, and performance.3. Self-hosting with a VPS offers more control and lower costs, but it requires more management and may not be suitable for large-scale startups.4. Flightcontrol enables arbitrarily long-running function invocations, making it suitable for tasks like web scraping and data processing.5. Flightcontrol is focused on removing barriers to adoption and improving their marketing and positioning6. The Y Combinator experience helped Flightcontrol raise funding and provided valuable mentorship and networking opportunitiesChapters00:00 Brandon Bayer03:41 Introduction and Background17:05 The Pricing Model of Flightcontrol and the Trade-Offs of Platform-as-a-Service vs. Self-Hosting53:23 Removing Barriers to Adoption1:00:23 Marketing and Positioning as a Reliable Platform as a Service1:13:07 Accepting the Truth and Embracing It1:22:55 The Impact of Y Combinator Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Links- Codecrafters (Sponsor): https://tej.as/codecrafters- Outreachy: https://outreachy.org- Recurse Center: https://recurse.com- Tejas on X: https://x.com/tejaskumar_SummaryAnjana discusses her journey into tech, including her background in computational linguistics and her experience in various roles within the tech industry. She highlights the importance of following one's passion and finding meaning in work. The conversation also touches on the need for the tech industry to prioritize human well-being and collaboration over profit and productivity. In this conversation, I and Anjana Vakil discuss the importance of shifting our mindset from a focus on productivity and economic success to one that prioritizes human flourishing and collective well-being. We explore the toxic nature of the competitive scarcity mindset prevalent in the tech industry and advocate for a more collaborative and community-oriented approach. We emphasize the need to recognize the value of every individual and the interconnectedness of all living beings. We also discuss the role of technology in addressing global challenges and the responsibility of tech professionals to use their skills for the betterment of society.Takeaways1. Tech careers can be pursued by individuals from diverse backgrounds and with non-linear trajectories.2. Programs like the Recurse Center and Outreachy provide opportunities for career changers and underrepresented groups to gain experience and contribute to the tech industry.3. The tech industry should prioritize human well-being and collaboration over profit and productivity.4. Success should be measured by the impact on individuals, communities, and the environment, rather than financial gain.5. Tech professionals have the power to shape the direction of the industry and should use their privilege to advocate for positive change.6. Shifting our mindset from productivity and economic success to human flourishing and collective well-being is crucial.7. The toxic productivity and competitive scarcity mindset prevalent in the tech industry need to be challenged.8. Recognizing the value of every individual and the interconnectedness of all living beings is essential.9. Tech professionals have a responsibility to use their skills and technology for the betterment of society and to address global challenges.Chapters00:00 Anjana Vakil03:39 Anjana's Non-Linear Tech Career15:21 The Intersection of Tech and Computational Linguistics27:00 Redefining Success in Tech32:10 Using Privilege to Advocate for Change48:55 Shifting Mindsets: From Productivity to Human Flourishing53:09 Tech's Role in Addressing Global Challenges55:33 Practical Protocols for Coping with the Current Context59:23 Community: Central to Software Development01:05:03 Scarcity Mindset vs. Abundance Mindset01:17:13 Cooperative Mindset: Surviving Scarcity Together01:24:34 Tech's Responsibility: Solving the World's Problems Together01:29:25 Recognizing the Value of Every Individual and the Interconnectedness of All Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.